Orange man ejected from vehicle during fatal crash

An Orange man is dead after wrecking his vehicle Tuesday, July 2, near Jack Brooks Airport in Nederland.

The 58-year-old driver was identified as James Lacy Francis. According to a Nederland Police Department press release, shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday night, Francis was traveling southbound near the 1500 block of Highway 69 in his 2007 blue Mini Cooper traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his vehicle.

Police responded to the scene to find the man's Mini Cooper in the ditch between the retaining wall separating the north and southbound lanes.

Nederland Police Chief Darrell Bush said that according to witnesses, the man was speeding and lost control of his vehicle. After traveling through the ditch, he crashed into a retaining wall, flipping several times and was then ejected from his vehicle.

"He rolled the vehicle several times and was pronounced dead on the scene by Judge (Marc) Derouen," Bush said. "From what the witnesses said he was traveling at a high rate of speed and just lost control."

Derouen has ordered an autopsy. There were no other vehicles involved and no other injuries.

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